Pictured above: Owner of The Curry Lounge Arfan (Raz) Razak
with The Royal Marines of 40 Commando
Nottingham Indian restaurant The Curry Lounge has raised over
£6,000 for charity thanks to a crack troop of Royal
Marines.
Six members of 40 Commando took control of the award-winning
venue for the evening to cook a traditional Indian three-course
meal for 90 invited guests, including local sports stars, leading
business figures and regular customers of The Curry Lounge.
All of the proceeds from the event will be donated to The Royal
Marines Benevolent Fund, a charity that supports Marines, both past
and present, as well as the families of those killed in the line of
duty.
The charity evening was the culmination of a week-long stay in
Nottingham after the Marines travelled from their base in Somerset
to learn the finer techniques of authentic Indian cooking from the
owner of The Curry Lounge, Arfan Razak (better known as Raz).
"It's been a truly memorable week," commented Raz, "and to end
it by raising such a significant amount of money for very worthy
cause, makes it even more special.
"The guys have been a credit to 40 Commando and they took to the
kitchen for the charity evening like true professionals and all of
the guests commented on the exceptionally high standard of the
food. Nothing fazes these men - they are true heroes."
The charity evening also featured an auction, with prizes
including an ice hockey shirt donated by the Nottingham Panthers, a
Samsung Galaxy Tab computer and an Indian meal cooked in the
winner's home by The Curry Lounge team.
Colour Sergeant Dale Bedforth added: "We've had a fantastic
reception in Nottingham and the skills that we've picked up from
Raz and is team will prove to be incredibly useful, particularly
when we're trying to cook up something tasty on tour.
"It means an awful lot to us that so many people turned up for
the charity evening and let us cook their favourite dishes for
them. The money raised will be put to good use. Many of our fellow
Marines have been seriously injured and some have lost their lives,
so any donations to the Benevolent Fund help to create a much
needed support network.
"The people of Nottingham have dug deep and have helped to make
a difference to many people's lives. On behalf of the Royal
Marines, we are very grateful for their support."
The Curry Lounge is planning to continue its support for The
Royal Marines Benevolent Fund, with further fundraising events
planned for later in the year.
For further information about The Curry Lounge, please visit
their website here: www.currylounge.co.uk